Plesiaceratherium fossil map
Where fossils of Plesiaceratherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 15 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04–5.333 million years ago (Aquitanian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Rhinocerotidae |
| Named by | Young 1937 |
| Fossil records | 44 occurrences at 17 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Germany, China, Pakistan |
| Rock formations | txn:43187, Brackwater Molasse, Shanwang, Upper Freshwater Molasse |
About Plesiaceratherium
Plesiaceratherium is an extinct genus of rhinocerotids. It includes two species: P. gracile from China and P. mirallesi from France.
Plesiaceratherium gracile was a mid-sized, hornless species of rhinoceros. Estimated size is 2.8–3.1 m (9.2–10.2 ft) in head-body length, 1.4–1.6 m (4.6–5.2 ft) in shoulder height, and 1,198 kg (2,641 lb) in weight. Males had significantly larger incisors than females and had more robust heads and bodies (although females may have had longer heads and limbs), and combined with their large body size it suggests that this species was polygynous and had a solitary lifestyle.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Plesiaceratherium (revision 1276483346), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q3906650.
